The writers of the New Testament frequently quoted from the Old Testament. One favorite book that they often quoted from was the Book of Psalms. Which psalm do you think they quoted from most often? Would it be the favorite of so many people, Psalm 23? No, it is the Psalm just prior to that, Psalm 22. This psalm is filled with prophecies of the suffering and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, each one fulfilled with stunning precision. Psalm 22 moves from an agonizing lament of suffering to triumphant praise, showing us the path from the cross to the resurrection. Let’s take a look at this psalm, written by King David.
Psalm 22 doesn’t gently ease us into a look at Jesus’ agony and suffering. Instead, it jumps right in, opening with a heart-wrenching cry of one who feels abandoned by God (vs. 1). Jesus quoted this verse from the cross (Matthew 27:46). This was not a cry of unbelief but one of real abandonment, as Jesus bore our sin (II Corinthians 5:21). We don’t know what trial David was going through when he wrote this, but he felt alone and abandoned, even from God. However, he wasn’t really abandoned by Him, as later in this psalm he tells us how he knows that God is holy, trustworthy, a deliverer, a rescuer, and is his strength.
Jesus, though, was abandoned and forsaken by God when He bore the sins of the world on the cross. Jesus endured the full wrath of God in our place. God withdrew fellowship as Jesus became sin for us. As an absolutely holy God, He had to turn His back on Jesus for that moment in time, as He cannot face sin. Jesus’ grief culminated in suffering the spiritual agony beyond all telling that resulted from the departing of His Father’s presence. It was the black midnight of horror for Him. God had really turned away from Jesus for a season.
As we continue in this psalm we read several verses that contain prophecies that were fulfilled that day Jesus was crucified. In verses 7-8 we read of a prophecy of mockery, which was fulfilled when Jesus was ridiculed, mocked, and laughed at by the people who witnessed and took part in His abuse and execution. The mockery of Jesus was not random, it was a fulfillment of these verses. The people who gathered near the cross even repeated similar words to Jesus as those we read here.
Mockery and ridicule was a large part of Jesus’ suffering. Judas mocked Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. The chief priests and scribes laughed and mocked Jesus to scorn. King Herod mocked Him, the servants and soldiers jeered at Him, and brutally insulted Him. Pilate and his guards also ridiculed Jesus’ royalty, and while He hung on the cross, the crowd taunted Him.
David recalled how God cared for him from his birth (vs. 9-11). This was also the case with Jesus. He lived in perfect dependence on the Father. As we read throughout Scripture, the suffering that believers go through does not erase God’s lifelong faithfulness to them.
The next seven verses give astonishingly specific prophecies that were fulfilled on Good Friday (vs. 12-18). We read descriptions of bulls, lions, and dogs - powerful and often dangerous animals. These were symbolic of Christ’s enemies who were powerful, vicious, and relentless. In verse 14 we read a description of the physical agony of the crucifixion. The heart feeling like wax could be a possible reference to cardiac failure under extreme stress. One physical torment was extreme thirst (vs. 15). This was fulfilled with Jesus’ cry, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
In verse 16 we read a very specific prophecy that was directly fulfilled by the Lord Jesus, of how His hands and feet were pierced. This clearly describes crucifixion. However, David wrote this centuries before this form of execution existed in Israel. Then in verse 18 we read about this victim’s clothes being divided and gambled over. Again, this was a literal prophecy that was fulfilled exactly in John 19:23-24.
Beginning in verse 22 we turn a corner, and on through the end of the psalm we read verses of praise and glory, as the crucifixion was not the end, with Jesus’ glorious resurrection on the third day. Because Jesus endured all of this torture and execution for our sins, He is now seated at God’s right hand, to be worshiped by all creation. Verse 22 is quoted in Hebrews 2:12, and is applied directly to Jesus. The One who suffered is now leading His brethren in praise. The psalm ends with global and eternal triumph. All nations will worship Jesus (vs. 27). The kingdoms of the world belong to Him (vs. 28), and future generations will hear of Him (vs. 30-31). This all foretells Jesus' Millennial Kingdom where He will reign.
Looking back over this psalm we see its graphic description of some of the agony that Jesus went through. We see the substitutionary atonement, as Jesus suffered for us and instead of us. Our sins demand punishment, eternal punishment in hell. However, because of His vast, eternal love for us, Jesus took our punishment so that all who accept Him as Savior do not have to suffer that punishment. We also see the prophetic accuracy of Psalm 22. This is a powerful testimony to the supernatural nature of Scripture. This is not just an ancient text written by the hands of man. The odds that each of these prophecies being fulfilled in one man centuries later are astronomical and virtually impossible. The Bible is indeed the inerrant Word of God!
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